Glide



Oct. 23, 1962 Filed March 17, 1960 J. B. WILHEQLMI GLIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iwvcnio? B. Wilheimi,

1962 J. B. WVILHELMI 3,059,267

GLIDE Filed March 17, 1960 2 Sheets-SheetZ 1 229. 6. Fig". 7. 66" 1 l Iwve 21/302" Julius B. Wilhe Z2442",

United States Patent 3,059,267 GLIDE Julius B. Wrlhelmi, Nantasket, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 15,570 1 Claim. (Cl. 16-42) FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the fastener and foot in isometric View;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan View showing the head of the center post and the foot;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view in section, partly in elevation on ,the line 4-4 of FIG..2;

FIG. 5 is a view in section, partly in elevation, similar to FIG. 4 showing the leg tilted;

FIG. 6 is a view in section partly in elevation on line 6-6 of FIG '3;

FIG. 7 is a view in section, partly in elevation of a tubular leg and the necessary variation of the assembly;

FIG. 8 is a top plan View of a form of a grip plate for use in a tubular leg; and

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated (FIGS. 1 through 6) a glide assembly or support 2 comprising a nail or center post 4, a shell 6, a foot 8 and a swivel plate 10. In the assembly 2 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the foot 8 comprises a rectangular base portion 12 whose edges 14 are slightly arced. A-n aperture 16 is formed in the approximate center of the base portion 12. The walls of the aperture 16 consist in two straight walls 18 in spaced parallel relation and two arcua-te walls 20 in spaced opposed relationship as illustrated in FIG. 2. A cylindrical columnar member 22 is integral with and extends away from the base portion 12. The said columnar member 22 is provided with an upwardly projecting medial portion 23 having a generally hemispherical upper surface 24 and an axial opening 26 with a concave enlarged portion 28 at the upper end and forming a continuation of the said aperture 16 at the lower end as illustrated in FIG. 4. The base portion 12 is formed as a shallow dish whose edge 14 is bevelled to form a support surface 32. The edges 14 of the said base portion 12 have formed integral therewith a shoulder 34 whose function will be explained hereinafter and which extends completely around the periphery of said base portion 12. The surface of the base portion 12 direcfly adjacent the said shoulder 34 is bevelled slight-1y toward the aperture 16 spacing the said shoulder 34 from the support surface 32 on which the foot 8 rests as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

The shell 6 has a body 36 in the external form of a irustum of a pyramid whose lower edge 38 is bent to lie on a plane in substantially spaced parallel relationship with the axis of the said body 36. Integral with and extending away from said body 36 is an outer medial portion 40 having a generally hemispherical swivel plate 2 contacting surface 42 and an axial opening 44 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

The center post or nail 4 consists of a head 46 and a shank 48. The head 46 is hemispherical in form having two equal segments taken from opposed sides of head 46 to form two flats 50 as partially illustrated in FIG. 1. The two il-ats 50 are in spaced parallel relationship. A slot 52 may be formed in the said head 46 to allow adjustment after the assembly 2 is engaged. The shank 48 of the head is cylindrical in form, integral with the apex of the head 46 at one end and having a piercing element 54 at the other end.

The swivel plate 10 consists in a dished portion 56 perforated to form a swivel plate opening 58. A portion of the swivel plate 10 is bent upward to form a wall 62 which is in spaced relation to and circumscribes said dished portion 56. The wall 62 is flared away firom the axis of said swivel plate opening 58 to form an annular rim 64.

The foot 8 and the shell 6 are joined by placing the shell 6 over the foot 8 so that the outer medial portion 40 covers the medial portion 23 of thefoot 8 and the swivel plate contacting surface 42 abuts the hemispherical upper surface 24 of the foot 8. This relationship places the axis of the axial opening 44 on the axis of the axial opening 26 of the foot 8. The lower edge 38 of the shell 6 would then rest against the shoulder 34 of the foot 8 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6. The shank 48 of the nail 4 is passed between the walls of the aperture 16 of the foot 8 with the flats 50 of the head 46 of the nail 4 in spaced parallel relationship with the straight walls 18 of the aperture 16 and between the walls of the axial opening 26 of the foot 8. The hemispherical head 46 of the nail 4 abuts the medial portion 23. The nail 4 can now be tilted in an angular direction from the axis of the axial opening 26 of the foot 8 but cannot be rotated in a direction at right angles to the axis of the axial opening 26 without turning the foot 8 and the shell 6.

The shank 48 of the nail 4 is then passed between the walls of the swivel plate opening 58 whereby the swivel plate contacting surface 42 abuts the dished portion 56 of the swivel plate 10 and whereby the aperture 16 of the foot 8 is axially aligned with the swivel plate opening 58 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The nail 4 can now be driven into a solid dowel 66 made of wood or plastic until the head 46 of the nail 4 is seated within the medial portion 23 and the swivel plate contacting surface 42 bears against the dished portion 56 of the swivel plate 10. The nail 4 will also seat the annular rim 64 of the swivel plate 10 against the dowel 66 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The shell 6 and the foot 8 can be tilted in any direction, however, they cannot be rotated at right angles to the axis of the dowel 66 unless a screw driver or similar instrument is turned in the slot 52 of the nail 4. This prevention of rotation is particularly important in high style furniture having a rectangular leg since the shape of the leg can be prematurely squared up with the shape of the assembly 2.

The method of preventing rotation and movement where the leg 68 is a hollow tube or the like is illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 9. In this case the foot 8a is similar to the foot 8 and the shell 6a is similar to the shell 6 and the foot 8a engages the shell 6a in the same manner that the foot 8 engages the shell 6 as hereinbefore set forth. The head 46a of the nail 4a is the same as the head 46 of the nail 4. However, the shank 70 of the nail 4a may be better described as a rivet shank in that it doesnt have a piercing element but is rather tubular and slit. The rivet shank 70 is passed between the walls of the aperture 16a in the foot 811 until the head 46a bears against the medial portion 23a as in the description set forth regarding the foot 8 and the nail 4. A glide portion 72 consisting of a hollow supporting post having a concave flange 76 at one end and a glide aperture 78 at the other end extending through said supporting part to said concave flange 76. The rivet shank 70 of the nail 4a is passed into the tubular supporting post and between the walls of the glide aperture 78. A concave ratchet plate 80 having a square aptrture 82 formed in the center portion as illustrated in FIGURE 8 is then engaged with the rivet shank 70 of the nail 4a by passing the rivet shank 70 between the walls of the square aperture 82. The slit ends of the rivet shank 70 are then crimped as indicated in FIG. 7 locking the ratchet plate 80, the nail 4a, the glide portion 72, the shell 6a and the foot 811 together. The complete assembly can now be jammed into the tubular leg 68 so that a biting engagement is made between the ratchet plate 80 and the inner Wall of said leg 68. This arrangement will prevent actual rotation of the assembly while engaged in the leg 68 unless a screwdriver or similar device is pressed in the slot 52a and then turned.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this device Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A glide for furniture and the like including a foot member having an aperture extending entirely therethrough from a non-circular shaped base portion to an upper end and surrounded by a non-circular shaped wall tapering inwardly toward the upper end of said foot member, an attaching member associated with said foot member to secure it to a leg of furniture and the like, said attaching member having a head shaped to fit the non-circular wall of the foot member to prevent relative rotation of the head to the foot member and cooperating swivel means permitting swivel movement of the foot member relative to the furniture leg, and a non-circular tool receiving portion provided by the head of said attaching member whereby a tool may be engaged therewith to rotate said foot relative to said furniture leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,806 Little Aug. 7, 1906 1,757,963 Herold May 13, 1930 1,792,537 Irwin Feb. 17, 1931 1,903,689 Sehacht Apr. 11, 1933 2,760,358 Helm et al. Aug. 28, 1956 2,857,616 Becker Oct. 28, 1958 2,933,754 Winans Apr. 26, 1960 

